Living in style: Beautymaxxing and its hidden agenda

With the toxic trend of ‘looksmaxxing’ centred around men, I bet you thought that women were finally out of the firing zone, right? Wrong. Typically, this warped form of self-improvement has bled into the female sphere, bringing with it its drastic grooming ideals that originated from incel culture to create ‘beautymaxxing’.

Beautymaxxing has been defined as “the practice of improving your appearance through a combination of beauty treatments, wellness habits, fitness, nutrition and even cosmetic procedures”. Though the term is new, ‘beautymaxxing’ is really just putting a name to the modern reality for women, which reflects the broader hyper-commodification of femininity. While appearance has always obviously been perceived as a big deal, in the past it has been mainly focused on finding the right makeup product or hairstyle. Nowadays, every aspect of our lives is put under scrutiny in the name of optimising our looks.

We are encouraged to view the body as a total equation, to be solved and perfected

Rather than wellness and beauty existing in separate spheres, the beauty industry is profiting from the wider cultural shift to self-optimisation. A spot on your face is no longer only an argument for trying out a different concealer: now stress management, sleep quality, and gut health can be tracked, monitored and recorded, all in the hope of looking your absolute best all the time. While tracking devices such as Apple Watches may have previously been a reassuring way to help make ourselves a little healthier, they now are a symbol of the hardcore shift towards holistic beauty, in which everything must be idealised. Self-care has become self-assessment, where our private habits are now under public scrutiny, with looking better and feeling better no longer being treated as separate goals. We are encouraged to view the body as a total equation, to be solved and perfected.

The ideal is now one mathematically ‘perfect’ face for us to strive to achieve

Ultimately, ‘beautymaxxing’ encourages comparison in everything, from sleep schedule to caffeine intake. This creates a subtle issue. Of course, why would we not want to feel our best? It is undoubtedly in our best interest to, say, improve our gut health, for improved digestion and the prevention of chronic diseases. But with the rise of this trend, there is likewise an increase in pressure to conform to ideals. Female empowerment movements could potentially be set back by decades; how can we feel liberated when we are the constant objects of comparison? Women of all ages are being targeted – rather than being able to age naturally, a grey hair is now akin to a natural disaster. Practices such as ‘preventative botox’ are becoming mainstream to reverse the ageing process, as wrinkles become the ultimate humiliation. The problem with this comprehensive approach to beauty is that it has become less about personal expression than a full-time job that manifests in terms of protein goals, red light treatment, skin cleanses, and hair masks.

The most worrying aspect of ‘beautymaxxing’ is the absolute conformity that underpins it.  Unlike in the past, where beauty could be considered subjective, the ideal is now one mathematically ‘perfect’ face for us to strive to achieve, with finding beauty in individuality largely discouraged. We are slowly becoming a mass of the ideal woman, dehumanising ourselves to be treated better by those around us. Take one look at Hollywood’s recent red-carpet photoshoots, and you’ll see what I mean.

Only through resisting the beauty standards can we decommodify femininity

Unfortunately, ‘pretty privilege’ is a reality in society, which forces people to spend money on their appearance for better treatment in return. The drastic standards that are being promoted are consequently not for the consumer’s benefit: the glamour masks the financial incentive to breed insecurity in women, adding to the patriarchal system as we doubt our own worth. Only through resisting the beauty standards can we decommodify femininity, which means recognising beautymaxxing for what it is: a shallow money-grabbing attempt.

So, before you get pulled in by the manifesto to become your ‘best’ self, do your research. Which routines will improve your quality of life, and which are a cover to splurge on expensive products or lose your personal expression? It is vital to maintain a balanced perspective and recognise that a lot of these trends that come women’s way have an ulterior motive.